Page 24 - Uttar Pradesh

Hathras stampede: Judicial report submitted, to be tabled in UP Assembly

The Hathras Stampede, which occurred in July 2024, resulted in 121 deaths, including 112 women and at least seven children

Uttar Pradesh FM Suresh Khanna tables Rs 8.08 trillion state Budget

Total Budget outlay for FY26 is 9.8 per cent higher than last year's Rs 7.36 trillion

UP to develop vendors' chain to bolster India's defence manufacturing

The proposed defence MSME (micro, small, and medium enterprise) corridor comprising hubs of ancillary units will primarily feed the UP Defence Industrial Corridor

UP Finance Minister Suresh Khanna presents Rs 8.09 trn Budget for FY26

Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna on Thursday presented the Budget for financial year 2025-26 in the state assembly with an outlay of Rs 8,08,736.06 crore, 9.8 per cent higher than this fiscal's Budget outlay. The total outlay for financial year 2025-26 of Rs 8,08,736.06 crore includes new schemes worth Rs 28,478.34 crore, the state finance minister said while presenting the Budget. The size of the state's Budget for 2024-25 was Rs 7,36,437 crore, which included new schemes worth Rs 24,863.57 crore. For the next fiscal, the state government's Budget has estimated the total receipts at Rs 7,79,242.65 crore, which includes revenue receipts estimated at Rs 6,62,690.93 crore and capital receipts at Rs 1,16,551.72 crore. The share of tax collection in revenue receipts is estimated at Rs 5,50,172.21 crore, which includes the state's own tax revenue of Rs 2,95,000 crore and its share in the central tax pool at Rs 2,55,172.21 crore. The total expenditure is estimated at R

Faecal coliform bacteria: What is it? How does it affect your health?

A recent Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report claimed that the river Ganga water is contaminated with faecal coliform bacteria; here's what is it and how it can impact your health

FIRs registered over sharing fake Kumbh video from Pakistan, says DIG

FIRs have been registered against social media handles for posting a video from Pakistan claiming it to be of the Kumbh area

Lending to MSMEs in Uttar Pradesh may surge 52% to Rs 4.5 trn in FY25

In the UP State Focus Paper prepared by Nabard, the state is projected to have a consolidated credit potential of ₹7.69 trillion in FY26 across priority sectors

UP to New Delhi: Yamuna's pollution crisis is a multi-state failure

Failure to build sewage treatment plants or keep them running well is choking the river

Kumbh's transient city raises lessons in urban planning and resilience

As the temporary metropolis comes to life, it raises profound questions about adaptability, sustainability, and what the cities of tomorrow can learn from one that refuses to stay

'Maha Kumbh water is safe': Yogi Adityanath rejects contamination report

CM Yogi Adityanath also criticised the Opposition for spreading 'misinformation' about the Maha Kumbh water being unfit for bathing

Schedule is based on muhurats: Prayagraj DM denies extension of Maha Kumbh

Prayagraj District Magistrate (DM) Ravindra Mandar on Tuesday categorically denied rumours circulating on social media regarding an extension of the Maha Kumbh Mela due to heavy crowds. Dismissing these claims, he clarified that the schedule of the event is determined on the basis of religious "muhurats" (auspicious timings) and remains unchanged. The Maha Kumbh will conclude on February 26, in accordance with its pre-decided schedule, Mandar said. "According to (Uttar Pradesh) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's instructions, the administration is ensuring a smooth travel and other arrangements for all the devotees. There is no proposal from the government or the district administration to extend the mela dates. Pilgrims should not pay heed to such misinformation," he said. The DM asserted that all necessary arrangements are in place for the remaining days of the Maha Kumbh to facilitate hassle-free bathing at the Triveni Sangam. The administration is also focused on traffic manageme

Prayagraj water fails bathing standards during Maha Kumbh; key details

Maha Kumbh Mela: A CPCB report dated February 3 highlighted that faecal coliform levels at all monitored locations were above the permissible limit, indicating significant sewage contamination

Maha Kumbh: Over 13.5 mn devotees take holy dip in Sangam on Feb 17

The spiritual fervour at the Maha Kumbh remains unwavering as more than 1.35 crore devotees took a holy dip in the sacred waters of the Sangam by 8 pm on Monday. According to figures released by the Mela administration, the total number of devotees who have bathed in the Maha Kumbh since January 13 has surpassed 54.31 crore. Alongside common devotees, several political leaders and dignitaries also participated in the sacred ritual on Monday. Among them were Union Minister for Labour and Employment Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of State SP Singh Baghel and West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose. "So far, 53 crore people have bathed here. This grand event is happening by the grace of the almighty," Mandaviya said Baghel also shared his experience, saying, "I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to take a holy dip at the Maha Kumbh. This is a divine blessing and a significant moment in life." He later participated in the prasad distribution programme organised by

Strict security measures at major UP stations after Delhi stampede

Stringent protocols are being enforced at key railway stations in Uttar Pradesh such as Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Kanpur, Lucknow and Mirzapur following the stampede at the New Delhi railway station and the massive crowds arriving for the Maha Kumbh. North Central Railway's Shashikant Tripathi told PTI, "We are strictly adhering to the previously established protocols, which were successfully implemented during festivals like Mauni Amavasya and Basant Panchami." At Prayagraj Junction, entry is restricted to the city side, and passengers are kept in a 'holding area' until their train arrives. RPF Inspector Shiv Kumar said that crowd control measures are "effective". In Varanasi, Ashok Kumar from the North Eastern Railway said the same protocols are in place at Jhunsi and Rambagh stations, where passengers are held in secure areas until their train arrives. The security at Varanasi Junction has also been tightened after the Delhi incident. Station Director Arpit Gupta confirmed

Weekend rush at Maha Kumbh again, traffic increases at MP-UP border

According to officials, around 1,000 vehicles were moving towards Prayagraj in every hour at Chakghat border and nearly 800 returning from there in the same period

Maha Kumbh: 20k missing reunite with kin via digital lost-and-found centres

The digital lost-and-found centres set up in the Maha Kumbh Mela here have helped reunite over 20,000 missing people with their loved ones, the Uttar Pradesh government said on Saturday. According to it, the digital lost-and-found centres, equipped with advanced AI-based facial recognition technology, machine learning and multilingual support, reunited 8,725 devotees with their families in and around the major bathing event on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya. Similarly, during the Makar Sankranti bathing event 598 devotees were traced and united with their families while during Basant Panchami Amrit Snan, the centres helped reunite 813 pilgrims with their kin, the government said. Apart from these major bathing events, the digital centres have helped over 10,000 people reunite with their families. The government said a large number of those reunited with their families were women. Police also played a key role in this effort, it said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the

Maha Kumbh 2025: Action taken against 53 social media accounts, says police

Uttar Pradesh Police have initiated legal action against 53 social media accounts over the past month for allegedly spreading misinformation about the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. The crackdown follows Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's directive to curb fake news, with authorities identifying multiple misleading posts, ?including old videos, falsely linked to the event, senior officials said. Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar on Thursday evening said the department formulated a comprehensive strategy, involving continuous cyber patrolling by the Uttar Pradesh Police and expert agencies to monitor and counter misleading posts on social media. On February 13, cyber monitoring revealed two misleading videos falsely linked to the Maha Kumbh. The first video, originating from a fire incident in Egypt, was falsely shared as a blaze at the Maha Kumbh bus stand, with claims that 40-50 vehicles were destroyed. Investigations confirmed that the footage was actually from a pipeline fi

Karnataka tops the list; UP jumps 10 places in local governance performance

The report has measured the performance of states in improving the condition of governance in local bodies in various parameters

Around 250 Japan CEOs to visit UP to explore investment opportunities

Deputy Governor of Japan's Yamanashi Prefecture, Ko Osada, on Wednesday paid a courtesy visit to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his official residence and discussed investment opportunities in the state among other issues, according to an official statement issued here. Ko Osada said, "Around 250 CEOs from Japan will visit Uttar Pradesh to explore potential investment opportunities. The Japanese delegation will assess the state's investment prospects, driven by its strong law and order, good governance and rapid economic growth. "This initiative will also create significant employment opportunities for the youth of Uttar Pradesh," it said. Ko Osada emphasised his commitment to strengthening friendly relations between Yamanashi and Uttar Pradesh. A key focus of the discussions was green hydrogen, the statement said. It was felt that a pact between UP and Japan's Yamanashi Prefecture would drive green hydrogen initiatives, including a centre of excellence, with Japa

Mayawati sacks Akash's father-in-law from BSP for 'anti-party' activities

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Wednesday announced the expulsion of Ashok Siddharth, the father-in-law of her nephew Akash Anand, from the party on charges of factionalism and engaging in anti-party activities. Anand, 30, is the national coordinator of the BSP Mayawati's political successor. Mayawati had sacked Anand last year only to reinstate him later and appoint him as her political successor. Siddharth, a former Rajya Sabha MP, was expelled along with Nitin Singh, the Meerut district in-charge of BSP responsible for overseeing party operations in the southern states. Making the announcement on X, Mayawati said, "Dr. Ashok Siddharth, former MP, and Shri Nitin Singh, District Meerut, have been expelled from the party in the interest of BSP for engaging in anti-party activities." The expulsion comes in the wake of the BSP's poor performance in the Delhi Assembly elections in which the party's candidates failed to retain their deposits in every seat they contested.